Written Answers

Friday 10 March 2000

Scottish Executive

Asylum Seekers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to consider the establishment of a Joint Ministerial Committee to look at the implications for Scotland of asylum seekers.

Iain Gray: No. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including asylum seekers.

Council Tax

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many holiday homes in the Highlands and Islands are eligible for a reduction in council tax.

Mr Jack McConnell: Holiday homes are not identified separately from other homes receiving two discounts.

  The table below shows the number of dwellings, at 6 September 1999, in the Highlands and Islands entitled to two discounts, and the total number of chargeable dwellings.

  


Council

  

Eligible 

  Dwellings

  

Total 

  Dwellings

  



Highland

  

6,029

  

94,852

  



Eilean Siar

  

1,141

  

12,549

  



Orkney

  

580

  

8,903

  



Shetland

  

549

  

9,390

Council Tax

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to eligibility for reduction in council tax on second homes, particularly in the Highlands and Islands and under what power such reductions are given.

Mr Jack McConnell: In Scotland, second homeowners receive a discount equal to 50% of the council tax. Discounts are enacted   under paragraph 2 of section 79 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Council Tax

Mr John Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to amend the regulations which allow non-residents to have a discounted rate of council tax on their second homes.

Mr Jack McConnell: Any change to the rate of council tax on second homes would require primary legislation. We have no plans to make any changes at present.

Council Tax

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review council tax banding and whether it will consider adding a separate band for residential caravans and mobile homes.

Mr Jack McConnell: We have no current plans to review council tax banding.

Criminal Injuries Compensation Board

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board to be finally wound up.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Board will be wound up on 31 March 2000. The board was set up to administer the original criminal injuries compensation scheme established in 1964. That scheme ended in April 1996 and a new tariff-based scheme administered by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel was introduced. Since then the board has been dealing with the residual claims lodged under the original scheme. This is now largely complete and the board will wind up on 31 March. Any remaining old scheme cases still outstanding at that time will be resolved by legally qualified members of the CICAP.

  I am sure that all Ministers, including those of previous administrations, would wish to join me in extending a sincere vote of thanks to all board members, past and present, for the care and dedication with which they have dealt with claims over the past 35 years.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths in the past five years resulted from methadone use.

Angus MacKay: The table below gives, for the categories listed, the numbers of deaths where methadone was recorded as being present at the time of death, either alone or in combination with one or more other drugs. It is not possible to identify the number of cases where the use of methadone was the only, or main, cause of death. Also given, for the same categories, are the total numbers of deaths from all drugs and medicaments.

  Deaths1 from drugs and medicaments, Scotland.

  

 

1994

  

1995

  

1996

  

1997

  

1998

  



Total

  

422

  

426

  

460

  

447

  

449

  



Involving methadone

  

55

  

58

  

101

  

86

  

64

  



  Notes:

  1. Underlying cause of death categories included, International Classification of Diseases, ninth revision (ICD9):

  drug dependence (ICD9, 304); non-dependent abuse of drugs (ICD9, 305.2-305.9); accidental poisoning (ICD9, E850-E858); suicidal poisoning (ICD9, E950.0-E950.5) and poisoning undetermined whether accidentally or purposely inflicted (ICD9, E980.0-E980.5).

  The figures above differ from those published by the General Register Office for Scotland in its annual paper on Drug-Related Deaths as the latter excludes suicides.

Education

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to encourage people who are not presently in teaching posts, but who have relevant qualifications, to register as supply teachers.

Peter Peacock: The recruitment of teachers to the supply pool is a matter for education authorities.

  Education authorities use a variety of approaches to manage supply cover and to attract qualified personnel to supply lists. The Scottish Executive is about to commission a small research project on the management of supply teachers in education authorities throughout Scotland. The survey should commence in March/April 2000. The project aims to review the systems in place to match the needs of schools with the available staff and to highlight best practice and the results will be shared with authorities.

Education

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any information regarding the subjects for which schools have the most difficulty obtaining supply teaching cover.

Peter Peacock: Around half of all education authorities have reported difficulties in maintaining supply cover in a range of subjects. However, no authority specified the deficit in numerical terms.

Epilepsy

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many patients with epilepsy were referred for surgery, in the most recent year for which figures are available, and what the average waiting time is, in each health board area.

Susan Deacon: A total of 11 patients were admitted from the waiting list in Scotland for surgery to treat epilepsy during the year ending 31 March 1999. The median wait for treatment was 34 days. Information on the number of waiting list admissions for surgery to treat epilepsy, by health board of residence, is provided below.

  


Health Board

  

Number 

  of Patients

  

Waiting 

  Time (days)

  



Argyll and 

  Clyde

  

1

  

22

  



Ayrshire 

  and Arran

  

1

  

31

  



Fife

  

1

  

103

  



Forth Valley

  

2

  

231




Grampian

  

1

  

34

  



Greater 

  Glasgow

  

3

  

1131




Lanarkshire

  

1

  

178

  



Lothian

  

1

  

45

  



Scotland

  

11

  

34

  



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  1. Median waiting time.

Epilepsy

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all health service professionals working in primary care advise patients on anti-epileptic drugs of their potential side effects.

Susan Deacon: All patients receive an information leaflet with each dispensed prescription providing information on the safe and correct use of medicines including potential side-effects. Good clinical practice recommends that all health professionals advise patients on the treatments they are receiving, including the benefits as well as potential side effects.

Epilepsy

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that epileptic patients have their medication reviewed annually by their GP.

Susan Deacon: This is a matter for the clinical judgement of the GP who will determine the frequency of medication review for epileptic patients based on clinical need. Existing national clinical guidelines published by SIGN in 1997 on "the Diagnosis and Management of Epilepsy in Adults" are scheduled for review this year.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future management of its treasury function and to detail the reporting structure of Ministers within it.

Mr Jack McConnell: The finance function within the Scottish Executive is currently the subject of an internal review which is aimed at ensuring that, following devolution, it continues to provide appropriate financial advice and control effectively. In pursuing this objective I will be interested also to see the outcome of the Finance Committee’s study of this issue. Ministerial responsibility for the finance function rests with me.

Fuel Duty

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether investment in the Scottish rail infrastructure attributable to revenue generated by hypothecated increases in fuel duty will come from the block grant through the Barnett formula, or directly from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Sarah Boyack: Decisions have not yet been taken on the distribution of any future revenues which might result from increases in fuel duty.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many intensive care and high dependency beds will be provided from the £6.8 million announced by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 22 February 2000 and whether this money will provide additional beds or be used to alter the classification of existing beds.

Susan Deacon: It is for health boards, working with NHS Trusts to determine how best to use the additional resources in light of local needs and circumstances. The Chief Medical Officer has established a short-life group to examine how intensive care and high dependency services can be improved. The group will look at ways of improving the flexibility of these services and of matching provision with need. Health boards will be expected to take full account of the group’s recommendations when taking decisions about how the additional resources should be used.

Health

Mr John McAllion (Dundee East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, by post designation, managers who are on performance related pay and publish the performance targets related to each post, in Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust, Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust and Tayside Health Board.

Susan Deacon: The detailed information requested is not available centrally. However, in general, managers employed by these employers on general and senior manager terms and conditions are on performance related pay. This would include, amongst others, the Chief Executive and Executive Directors of the Trusts and General Managers and Executive Directors of the health board. The Medical Director is unlikely to be employed on these terms.

  It is for each employer to determine specific targets attributable to each employee and to assess the individual’s performance in respect of completion of these targets. For senior management the Trust or Health Board Remuneration Committee is responsible for the performance management and appraisal system and for ensuring it is properly and robustly applied.

  The pay arrangements for Executive and Senior Managers in Trusts and health boards are currently being revised to bring managers under Ministerial direction and place them on Whitley terms and conditions of service. These arrangements will include guidance which stresses the need for employers to have robust performance management systems in place which identify managers individual contribution to improved patient care and to the aims and objectives of the employer.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer Steering Group last met, when it will next meet, and how many scheduled meetings have been cancelled and why.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Glasgow Housing Partnership Steering Group last met on 28 February and is scheduled to meet shortly. Meetings have been held as and when it was appropriate to discuss the work in progress.

Local Government Finance

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-958 by Mr Frank McAveety on 20 January 2000, when it intends to collate the information relating to the gross annual cost, including salaries, office provision and support, and loan and leasing charges, of the delivery by local authorities of economic development services.

Mr Frank McAveety: There are no plans at present to collate these figures. However, the content of the Local Financial Returns is kept under constant review, balancing central Government’s need for information against the burden the returns place on the local authorities.

Prison Service

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what facilities there are in Glenochil Young Offenders Institution for the rehabilitation of young substance abusers.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Prison Service provide individual detoxification, multi-disciplinary drug education, one-to-one counselling, and throughcare to community agencies on release. Young Offenders identified at HMYOI Polmont, Glenochil YOI’s feeder establishment, as drug misusers are retained at Polmont.

Raptors

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the validity of the methodology employed by the Hawk and Owl Trust research project on the impact of raptors on racing pigeons prior to accepting any of its conclusions or recommendations.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Neil to my answer to question S1W-4163 in which I indicated that I had asked SNH for advice on the recommendations contained in the UK Raptor Working Group Report and how they might be implemented in Scotland. The Scottish Executive has no plans to review the validity of the methodology employed by the Hawk and Owl Trust research project on the impact of raptors on racing pigeons.

Scottish Executive Staff

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) public servants and (b) civil servants (i) were employed by the Scottish Office, Executive Agencies and associated departments in June 1997; (ii) are currently employed by the Scottish Executive including Executive Agencies and associated departments and (iii) have transferred to the Scotland Office since its formation.

Mr Jack McConnell: The full time equivalent of permanent staff employed in the main departments between 1 June 1997 in the Scottish Office and 1 February 2000 in the Scottish Executive are set out in the attached table.

  In the past three years, the definition of the core Scottish Executive (Scottish Office) has changed with movements of responsibilities into and out of the Office/Executive. The figures shown below have been back-dated as far as possible for comparison purposes. Therefore, the Scottish Courts Administration and Parole Board staff (135 staff at Feb 2000) have been included within the core Office/Executive throughout the period, although the actual transfer of staff took place in July 1999.

  



1/4/97

  

1/6/97

  

1/4/98

  

1/4/99

  

1/2/00

  



Scottish 

  Office/ Executive

  

3,611.2

  

3,556.5

  

3,570.3

  

3,677.6

  

3,926.0

  



Crown Office

  

1,104.0

  

1,072.7

  

1,112.0

  

1,084.0

  

1,089.7

  



Scottish 

  Courts Service

  

 

  816.0

  

 

  819.4

  

 

  828.0

  

 

  833.0

  

 

  854.4

  



Scottish 

  Prison Service

  

4,510.0

  

4,359.7

  

4,723.0

  

4,824.0

  

4,824.0

  



Agencies

  








Fisheries 

  Research Services

  

 

  205.9

  

 

  227.9

  

 

  227.0

  

 

  256.5

  

 

  257.9

  



Scottish 

  Fisheries Protection Agency

  

 

  254.0

  

 

  257.0

  

 

  255.6

  

 

  274.9

  

 

  274.5

  



Scottish 

  Agricultural Science Agency

  

 

  123.0

  

 

  122.7

  

 

  121.0

  

 

  114.3

  

 

  127.4

  



Scottish 

  Public Pensions Agency

  

 

  153.1

  

 

  151.1

  

 

  143.5

  

 

  139.5

  

 

  152.6

  



Historic 

  Scotland

  

 

  587.0

  

 

  603.4

  

 

  626.8

  

 

  622.3

  

 

  630.8

  



Student 

  Awards Agency for Scotland

  

 

  120.3

  

 

  124.2

  

 

  125.8

  

 

  126.8

  

 

  122.8

  



Others (incl. 

  Associated Departments)

  








National 

  Archives of Scotland

  

 

  119.1

  

 

  120.2

  

 

  112.9

  

 

  114.2

  

 

  119.2

  



General 

  Register Office

  

 

  206.8

  

 

  205.8

  

 

  202.4

  

 

  214.4

  

 

  235.4

  



Registers 

  of Scotland

  

1,063.0

  

1,044.7

  

1,045.0

  

1,057.0

  

1,268.8

  



  76 staff have transferred to the Scotland Office since its formation.

  It should be noted that although a number of staff from other public sector organisations are on loan/secondment to the Executive, they remain employees of the parent organisation.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Football Task Force will issue its report; whether the report will be made available to members of the Scottish Parliament and whether it will make a statement in response to the task force’s recommendations.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The task force produced a report for the Football Partnership which it considered at its meeting on Tuesday 18 January. The report provides a sound basis for further consideration and members of the partnership were invited to use the document to consult within their respective organisations. The partnership intends to make the report publicly available in due course. The partnership will meet again on 24 March and I anticipate that a statement will be issued thereafter.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of the membership and remit of the Football Partnership; how the Scottish Executive’s contribution of £1 million will be spent and how that expenditure will be monitored.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Membership of the Football Partnership, which is chaired by Rhona Brankin, includes the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Premier League, the Scottish Football League, the Scottish Professional Footballers Association,  sportscotland, the Scottish Institute of Sport, the Football Trust, and CoSLA.

  Its remit is to draw up proposals for establishing a Scottish Football Academy, based on a network of local academies, to encourage and enable the most talented youngsters from local communities in Scotland to maximise their football potential; and in this context to consider how the academies can help to improve skills and encourage youth development in the football community generally.

  The detailed arrangements for payment and monitoring of the Scottish Executive contribution will be finalised once agreement on a funding package has been reached.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why Scottish Football league clubs with a commitment to youth development have been excluded from the network of football academies to be established under the Football Partnership.

Mr Sam Galbraith: Scottish Football League clubs have not been excluded from the proposed network. The Scottish Football League is a member of the Football Partnership and the partnership anticipates that SFL clubs will be included in the development of the academies.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to news release SE 1166/1999, how the Football Partnership will determine who "our best young football players" are and how these players will access the facilities of the football academies if they have no links with current Premier League clubs.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The identification of talent will be a matter for individual football clubs. Access to the facilities will not be the exclusive right of the owner or operator of the facility. Conditions attached to contributions from public funding will ensure opportunities to develop will be made available to the wider football community.

Sport

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which of the present Premier League clubs had a long-term commitment to youth development, with either or both a coaching and training regime and a youth football academy before their involvement in the Scottish Football Partnership.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The SFA has indicated that all its member clubs, whether SPL, SFL or non-league senior are committed to the need for youth development. The detail of individual clubs commitments and proposals is a matter for those clubs.

Sport

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take immediate action to ensure the Scottish National Championship in ice skating, due to take place on 11 and 12 March in Irvine, goes ahead and that participation in this competition by Scottish skaters will not affect their eligibility for the UK team, in light of the apparent refusal by the National Ice Skating Association to recognise the Scottish Ice Skating Association (SISA), and whether it will report to SISA on any such action taken.

Mr Sam Galbraith: I understand that the Scottish National Ice Skating Championships will go ahead as planned. The National Ice Skating Association (NISA) has now retracted its eligibility statement and Scottish skaters will be able to participate without any threat of action from NISA.

Transport

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2331 by Sarah Boyack on 10 December 1999, whether it will provide full details of how Midlothian Council intends to finance the A701 Midlothian Project and any implications for council tax levels in Midlothian.

Sarah Boyack: Further to my previous answer, how Midlothian Council finance the project and the implications for council tax are matters for them.

Water Industry

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of West of Scotland Water Authority’s centenary launch on 31 October 1999 will be and what the cost of any similar events held by other water authorities in the last three years was.

Sarah Boyack: West of Scotland Water Authority did not hold a centenary launch on 31 October. But later this month the authority plan a centenary launch of the SS Sir Walter Scott, owned by the authority and which sails on Loch Katrine, which supplies Glasgow’s drinking water. WoSWA estimate the average cost of one of the steamer’s sailings with catering to be around £1,000-£1,500.

  There have been no events by the other water authorities of the type referred to above.

Water Industry

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number and value of water supply assets currently owned by the private sector through Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnerships, and the number and value of water supply assets publicly owned in respect of (i) East of Scotland Water, (ii) West of Scotland Water and (iii) North of Scotland Water.

Sarah Boyack: There are no PFI schemes relating to the supply of drinking water.

Water Industry

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number and value of sewerage assets currently owned by the private sector through Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnerships, and the number and value of sewerage assets publicly owned in respect of (i) East of Scotland Water, (ii) West of Scotland Water and (iii) North of Scotland Water.

Sarah Boyack: There are nine PFI waste-water schemes currently being developed on behalf of the Scottish water authorities. The value of these schemes is a matter for the PFI contractors but the equivalent capital cost by conventional procurement would be around £600 million. Water authorities are currently conducting studies of their above- and below-ground assets comprising water and waste-water treatment works etc and the mains network of pipes supporting them. In his advice on charges, the Water Industry Commissioner gives an estimate that the replacement value of the water authorities’ assets could be up to £16 billion.

Water Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much planned investment in the water industry, based on currently available investment projections and expressed in both percentage and monetary terms, will be financed through (a) the Private Finance Initiative and (b) traditional procurement.

Sarah Boyack: For the period of the strategic review, 2000-01 and 2001-02, water authorities plan to invest around £930 million in water and sewerage infrastructure. In addition to this, the water authorities will procure some major sewerage services through partnership schemes with the private sector. It is very difficult to make an assessment of the capital costs of PFI schemes – that is a matter for the PFI contractors themselves – but our best estimate would be around £375 million, around 28% of the total investment required for the same period.

Water Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of water industry infrastructure it estimates will be privately owned by the end of the current session of the Parliament.

Sarah Boyack: It is very difficult to place a value on the extensive network of above- and below-ground assets held by the water authorities. In his advice on charges, the Water Industry Commissioner gives an estimate that the replacement value of the water authorities assets could be up to £16 billion. Our projection of PFI capital investment by the end of 2002 is around £0.6 billion, by which time all currently planned projects will have been completed.

Water Industry

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of capital expenditure in the water industry will be over the next two years and what the gap is between this figure and the figure allowed under the industry’s external finance limits.

Sarah Boyack: Figures for the Scottish water authorities’ proposed capital investment programme and indicative EFLs for the next two years are given in the following table.

  £ million

  


Scottish 

  water authorities

  

2000-01

  

2001-02

  



Capital 

  Expenditure

  

451.0

  

469.0

  



External 

  Finance Limits

  

201.9*

  

218.0

  

 * In-year adjustment to EFLs for the current year to accommodate fluctuations in water authorities’ capital expenditure programmes had the net effect of bringing forward £15 million from 2000-01 into 1999-2000.